*Somewhere far from the Crimson Moon Empire.*

*A candlelit room in a cheap adventure's inn.*

*4 months later*

*A girl sits at a cheap wooden desk. Short hair. ink strained fingers A sword propped against the wall behind her*

*she is writing a Letter*

(flashback one month before the escape)

Velmrath Royal Palace. Grand banquet hall.

Prince Lucian's 16th birthday celebration

"The banquet hall is all gold and candlelight. Every noble family in the kingdom has sent their finest. Gowns.Jewels. Practiced smiles. The kind of event Selene was never officially invited to but attending anyway. Standing near the back. Holding something wrapped in cloth. A bracelets set in a silver frame. Homemade carefully hers."

"Six resonance crystals. Northern Valdris mountain passes. Eleven trips. Two years of collecting. I learned the warding technique from the library book nobody else had touched in twenty years. Set every crystal by hand. No magic tool no instructor. Just me and a technique i thought myself in secret. It will shield him from one direct fatal strike. Automatically no Mana from the wearer it just protects. He is reckless in combat practice. I have watched him for three years. I just wanted him to be safe. Thats all. That was everything."

"She steps forward When the gift presentation begins. Walks to the Prince Lucian with the bracelet held carefully in both open palms. Her hands are not shaking she made sure of that"

"Lucian looks at the bracelet. Then at Selene. Then past her Solara standing nearby in a gold gown that catches every light in that room. He smiles not at Selene 😏"

"laughter from the nearest tables Selene says nothing. Holds the bracelet steady."

"He is already gone Already laughing with Solara. Already completely done. A servant appears at Selene's elbow. Reaches for the bracelet. Selene looks at it one last time. Six crystals. Silver frame. Two years of cold mountain mornings. She let it go of it. Walks out of the banquet hall. Does not run. Does not cry. Not there. Not where they can see "

[behind her in the chaos of hundred gifts and dozen moving servants,the bracelet gets mixed into the wrong pile. Nobody notices. Six crystals,still waiting,still patient still hers.]

(AT THE SAME NIGHT IN VALDRIS DUCHY)

[Grand Duke's study late night] "her father is waiting Grand Duke Aldren Valdris. A man who has never once looked at Selene the way he looks at his other children. Tonight his face is something colder than anger."

[Selene does not move. Does not flinch. She has heard variations of this her entire life. But never this exact words, never that clearly, never with that cold certainty.]

[she got out of his sight. Walked to her room which is far from the main halls in the farthest corner of the Grand duchy. Sat on the floor with her back against the door. And for a very long time she just sat there in the dark just thinking.]

(THREE HOURS LATER. DEEP NIGHT)

Selene's room ag 3 am I think i had been living in a bubble. A bubble where if i was patient enough, if i tried hard enough, if i loved people hard enough someone would eventually look at me and actually see me. Not the zero mana. Not the cursed child. Not the black star. Just ME.

Sitting on the floor I felt the bubble pop Not dramatically not with tears or rage. Just quietly. Like a held breath finally let go. And in the silence after for the first time in my life i thought clearly.

I am not going to Coldvast Estate. I am not going to spend my life waiting for people who have decided i am worth noting. I am going to leave tonight ON MY OWN TERMS.

She stands up, Moves quietly and quickly the way only someone who spent years being invisible knows how to move. She takes: her training clothes, her journal her savings 5 gold,309 silvers 200 copper coins every weapon hidden under the floorboards over four years of secret practice. She stops at the door and looks back at the room one last time. Leaves nothing behind worth keeping.

In the front of broken mirror silver hair red eyes Selene Valdris she picks up the small practice blade. looks at her reflection for a long moment. the blade moved stands fell soft, silent. Like something breaking. Again until the girl was gone The person in the mirror looks back like a stranger. She wrapped the cloth tight around her chest a small breath shaky,then still changed to male training clothes.looked up short silver hair cold red eyes and expression less face no daughter of Valdris's.

(BEFORE LEAVING THEO'S ROOM)

She almost didn't go. Almost told herself it was cleaner to leave without words But she stood outside his door for two full minutes. Then knocked. Once soft.

Theo eight years old, Hair sticking up, half asleep opens the door.sees her sees the bag sees the hair and male clothes. Goes very still😯

Selene pulls him into a hug and holds on for ten seconds then lets go. Stands up and doesn't look back at his face because if she does she will not leave

She doesn't answer that one walks down the corridor out the servant entrance into the cold dark before dawn. Alone short hair a bag of weapon and with a couple of mixed coins and nothing else

(BACK TO PRESENT)

She folds the letter Sets it on the desk. Blows out the candle. she picks up her sword sets it across her knees looks at the blade in the dark Tomorrow there are monsters to fight she has never once needed anyone's permission to do that